History UK Acquires Canadian WWII Spy Thriller ‘X Company’

History UK is adding another exclusive drama to their slate. The A+E Networks UK backed channel has secured the exclusive UK broadcast rights to Canadian drama series X Company, a spy thriller set during the second world war, after striking a deal with international distributor Sony Pictures Television.

X Company is set in the dangerous world of espionage and covert operations during World War II. It follows the stories of five highly skilled young recruits – Canadian, American and British – torn from their ordinary lives to train as agents in an ultra-secret facility on the shores of Lake Ontario. These agents parachute behind enemy lines, where they’re fair game for torture and execution.

The drama series, which recently wrapped its three season run on Canadian public broadcaster CBC, is produced by Orphan Black indie Temple Street Productions and stars Jack Laskey, Evelyne Brochu, Warren Brown, Dustin Milligan, Connor Price, Hugh Dillon, Torben Liebrecht and Lara Jean Chorostecki. X Company was created by Flashpoint‘s Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern, both of whom also serve as executive producers alongside David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg and Bill Haber.

While scripted drama is only a small part of History UK’s line-up (they only tend to pick up one or two new scripted shows each year), it has been a key driver for the channel. At History UK, X Company joins period drama Vikings, which, under a life-of-series deal with MGM Television, airs on the channel following Amazon Prime Video UK’s premiere window . They have also previously been home to such dramas as Starz’s Black Sails; History’s Gangland Undercover; FX’s The Bastard Executioner; and A+E produced minis Roots, Texas Rising and Sons Of Liberty.